DOG Research Project Successfully Launched – First Data on the Origin of Little Snipes Stopping Over in Central Europe

Together with Dieter Kronbach, Jens Hering is studying one of the most mysterious bird species still in existence today as part of a research project funded by the German Ornithological Society. The focus is on researching the migration routes of the jack snipe (Lymnocryptes minimus). The primary objectives include determining the birds’ regions of origin, identifying previously unknown stopover sites and migration routes, characterizing their migratory behavior, and recording the length of stay in wintering grounds for birds that stop over and overwinter in Saxony. The project got off to a successful start during the last stopover season in two areas in southwestern Saxony, where a total of 15 individuals were fitted with geolocators. And as early as mid-October, a recapture was made, providing the first information about the previously unknown breeding area of Little Snipes resting in Central Europe. An initial analysis of the data by Wieland Heim at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg showed that this bird, captured in February 2025, migrated via Poland to Finland in the spring. Consequently, the Jack Snipe most likely bred in the northernmost part of Scandinavia. With great anticipation, additional snipes equipped with data loggers are expected to arrive in the Saxon study areas in the coming weeks. Details on the research project can be found in an article in *Vogelwarte* 62, Issue 4, (2024): 358–359.

A jack snipe captured at the “Hartmannsdorfer Terrassenteiche” rest area in Saxony and fitted with a geolocator, shortly before its release. The project was approved by the Saxony State Directorate as an animal experiment for the purpose of species conservation. 
Photo: Wieland Heim, February 6, 2025